Dark Awakening
by Michael.Waferd
Summary: A short story depicting a 'real life' version of Terraria, where the Player, Dryad, and the forces of humanity and Hallow struggle to overcome the evils of the spreading Corruption. However they will find that darkness will not go quietly and a great evil is nearing. Based off Terraria game play, with added concepts. - Mild profanities, Fantasy violence, and Minor adult humor
1. The Edge of Darkness

**Chapter 1: The Edge of Darkness**

"This isn't the first time that I've seen this place, and I'm certain that it won't be the last time either." I thought to myself, approaching the edge of hillside that overlooked a low valley leading down into a large pocket of the 'corruption'.

The Dryad, Faye, she was already here, waiting for me to arrive. Her sword, The Blade of Grass, was hung over her back and she had on the most clothing I'd ever noticed her wear at once in all the years I'd known her.

"It took you long enough to get here!" she said harshly, without so much as turning around to look at me.

"I'm not going to apologize for being late, if that's what you're after. Do recall, you are the one who arrived early. I'm right on time," I said looking down at the watch tethered to the wrist of my armor.

"Shadow armor, really?" Faye said, still not bothering to turn around to look at me.

"How can you tell?" I asked with a faint chuckle, walking up beside her, overlooking the corrupt lands far below.

"It absolutely reeks of dark energy! I could sense you coming from a mile away wearing that armor."

"That's the point though, isn't it? If you can sense me so prevalently, then that means that the eater of souls will likely be unable to differentiate me from any other dark mob. They're drawn to anything that is different than they are. But wearing this armor, they shouldn't be able to sense me. At least not indirectly."

"Finally figured that one out did you?"

"And what about you?" I asked looking her up and down. She was wearing little more than her green biological mesh underwear, but at least there were a few more wrappings covering her legs and arms than the usual. "I mean really, of all the entities of the unnatural world of purity, you're the most powerful, and the most important. Without you I can't grow the purity or erase the taint. They're going to sense you as easily as you sensed me. You are aware of that right?" I asked raising an eyebrow towards her.

She didn't look at me, she was to busy staring off into the sunrise. "Why must you be so difficult? Obviously I'm aware. But as you said, no one but me can revert the taint and corruption, so in truth, I have to be here don't I?"

"Can't you just give me some of the purification powder, and let me do it?"

"Don't be stupid! Under that armor, and behind that sword and shield, you're still just a mortal, and still just a man. I'm neither mortal, nor of man. If I get killed I'll regenerate… eventually…"

"With no recollection of who you were before…"

"But at least I will come back. But you… if you die, you will never come back, you're mortal."

"I'm aware, thanks for reminding me... I prefer to think I'm more than just a man," I said raising my Night's Edge and looking down the blade.

She snickered. "You're a moron aren't you? See this is exactly the reason you need me around. Otherwise you'd try to use the purification powder yourself and end up dead."

"Dead? But you use it all the time. What is the difference, other than the obvious?"

"I make it for one! It's a highly potent concentration of light and good and purity. If you even so much as touched, or breathed it in, then all the evil in your soul an body would be vanquished immediately, and you would die from having lost such a large piece of your soul! I can touch it because I'm already pure good, possible a bit of a prude at times, but never the less, eternally pure and good."

I frowned at her through my mask. "Are you saying that I'm to evil to touch purity powder?"

"I saw you kill a bunny with your axe the other day… does that say enough?"

"What! I was just trying to bring that tree down and the thing walked right where I swung. I didn't mean to hit it!"

"I'm only joking moron…" she snickered. "Believe me. I'm over five hundred years old. I think I can tell what's inside your heart well enough to know that you touching this stuff is not a good idea. You may be a good person, at least on the surface," she said frowning, "But under that armor, you're still only human, and still imperfect and impure. You're lust, anger, dark emotions, and collective of negativity would be enough to destroy you if you tried to directly contact the powder. Truth of it is, very few humans could touch it and survive. The great majority of your race is just too impure, so nothing personal really."

"Right… Do you even have it with you?" I asked looking over her body. She seemed to not even be carrying it on her, and it wasn't in her hands or on her back.

"I keep it somewhere you can't accidently find it… with magic I mean… you know, a pocket of temporal alternate reality… seriously were you educated as a child at all?"

"Honestly… I can't even recall my childhood," I said trying to think back before the first moments that I can recall existing. I never can see far enough back to understand what came before all this. Two years ago I just remember being here, and having a purpose, and finding that strange little kid who called himself my guide. Since then so much has changed… "But my parents, I must have had parents. I am human after all, so where are my parents? Where are all the other humans? The only other humans I know are all either friends of mine from across the planet, or the ones that live in my town," I thought to myself.

"What are you thinking about?" Faye asked interrupting my thoughts.

"Why, could you hear that?"

"No, I wasn't listening, but I could feel the uncertainties coursing through your mind. Is all well?"

"It's nothing Faye, don't worry about me alright."

She sigh. "All I ever do I worry about you, moron. If not for me you'd be dead many times over."

"Actually the nurse seems to be the one who heals me most of the time…"

She sigh. "I trust that you brought what I asked you to, yes?"

"Ah, yeah right," I said pulling out the Clentaminator. "You have no idea what trouble I had to go through in order to convince the Steam Punker to hand one of these over. Where I wonder does she even get these things? The technological level of this device is well… above most weaponry available to us."

"It's not a weapon at all moron. Don't you know what this does?"

"Um…"

"It possesses the ability for long ranged distribution of solutions, such as purity and my powder."

"You're going to feed it your powder as ammunition? Does that even work?"

"As long as you had the Goblin modify it properly it should. Did he say that it was prepared according to the specifications that I provided him?"

"Um, yeah. But he seemed to have a hard time modifying it though… hey wait, it just now occurred to me, why can he touch the powder!? He can't possibly be pure…"

"He is not a human, or of the corruption, thus it doesn't affect him directly."

"So basically I'm the only one who can't touch it?"

"No, the guns dealer, as well as most of the humans you know, are incapable of touching it. Can you even imagine Andre attempting to contact something so pure? I can't even keep this stuff in the same building as him, else the purity might rub off on his tiny little evil mind."

"That's a bad thing?"

"It would kill him…"

"Right then. Can we please get this under way?"

"Not yet. The sun has not risen fully enough for us to begin."

"Why daylight? It's going to take another three hours for the sun to fully rise. Why did you have me come out here this early!?"

"What better do you really have to be doing right now?" she replied sharply poking me in the chest plate with her middle figure.

"Ah! Don't touch me while I'm wearing this armor, you're purity hurts!"

Faye smiled. "Yes I'm aware. How do you think I keep Andre away from me?"

"Excellent point. So how do we go about this then?"

"I spray, and you guard me whilst I work."

"Why the need to wait for the sun to have risen?"

"Do you know nothing of the Corruption?"

"…Uh, this is question or an insult?"

"The Eaters are more capable of seeing in low light. They will retreat to the underground once the sun has risen, making our job significantly less complicated."

"What! But if they all retreat, what do you need me here for!? I thought we were going to have to fight our way in else I wouldn't have worn this stupid heavy armor! Besides I can move much faster without it. Carrying armor around is another fifty pounds of weight I don't want, or apparently need for this mission!"

"You're going to need it. Not all of the Eaters will leave once the sun rises. And the worms certainly don't care whether or not its day. They are nearly blind anyway, and see predominantly using vibrations." Faye glared at me through my mask. "Have you ever actually been within the corruption before?"

"I had to get this sword," I said holding up the Night's Edge."

"How in God's name did you not die? You literally know nothing of the corruption, or of the mechanics of the creatures living within."

"I did almost die, if not for my friend and his magic mirror to teleport us out in time, that giant worm thing would have ripped us both apart."

"Oh yes, come to think, I do recall that happening. I also recall that you failed to kill the Eater of Worlds due to that 'heroic' escape. Now we will also have to watch out for him as well… But again, that was several months ago. Perhaps the Eater has gone to sleep once again and will not sense us entering his land. And you should be more careful, your friend is not here to save you this time."

I chuckled.

"Truly it is amazing to me that you've not been killed yet," she said sorrowfully.

"You must really hate me huh?"

"You are, necessary, for my plans for remedying this world. My feelings towards you are irrelevant."

"Are they?" I asked somewhat softly.

She squinted at me. "What is that supposed to mean."

"Oh… nothing," I said looking away into the sunrise.

It was so far away, and there was so much corruption between us and it. Miles and miles, as far as the eye could see in all direction, nothing but infected land, covered in purple taint and rotted trees.

"At least I can't see any Eaters hanging around the area. They must not yet be aware of our presence."

"Which is strange, considering we're nearly on the edge of darkness now, and yet they are not attacking, or even seemingly aware of us."

"Well, more good news is that since we're waiting around here for another few hours for the sun to peek, my friend will have time to get here. He is inbound, from the cloud city to the far North."

"Which friend is this again, the one I hate, or the one that is sort of acceptable?"

"He's the one who loves all the guns and explosives. You know, the guy that gets along really well with the demolition expert."

Faye squinted trying to recall who I was referring to.

"You know, you met him before, about my height, my age, dark skin..."

"Oh yes, Drey, that black kid."

"Actually he prefers the term, African American…"

"I don't care what he prefers! But yes, I know of whom you speak."

"So is he the one you hate, or is he acceptable?"

"Neither, I had forgotten about him."

"Then who is the friend of mine whom you hate?"

Faye didn't reply, she just looked away. "As soon as the sun rises we can begin. We need to make sure that we secure at least a small portion of the area before the sun sets again. The entire process will likely take many years to complete, so getting off to a good start is vitally important."

"You really think that it'll take that long to subvert this land back to purity?"

"If not longer… We've allowed the corruption to grow out of control. After you and the others defeated that Hell monster of flesh, powerful essences of light and darkness were released unto our world, feeding the corruption and allowing it to spread at an incredible rate. Assuming the data my fairies have collected for me is accurate, this corruption is the largest in all of Terraira, and spreads for approximately seventeen miles in all direction from this area.

"So this is just the front of an even greater disaster?"

"Indeed. It also spreads deep down into the rock layers, all the way to the underworld, several thousands of miles down."

"How are we supposed to purify all that!?"

"As I said… it may take some time. Good thing you've got a lot of that on your hands huh? Although, the sands of time are flowing, and well, you're not ageing well."

"I'm not that old! I'm only twenty-four!"

"For a human life, is that not considered old?"

"Well, not typically."

"Oh, I see. Either way… You are most unpleasing to look at."

"I'm wearing armor…"

"I mean the other times, like when you walk around the city naked for no apparent reason whatsoever… You do realized that no one else wants to see that, yes? Other then perhaps the painter… Perhaps you are attempting to amuse him?"

"I sleep walk alright!"

"Hum… if you say so."

I groaned. "How much longer do we have to wait? I'm getting uppity… and tired of you," I muttered under my breath.

"Feel free to go down there right now, however without the light of day illuminating the lower portions of this region, and no torches in place, I doubt you'll get far before something else finds you. Have fun fighting in the darkness.

"Fine," I said sitting down on the ground beside her, hanging my legs over the cliff face overlooking the corruption. "We wait… My friend should be here soon, I already let him know where to find us."

"All the help we could get would be appreciated."

"Well actually, I'm sort of glad to hear you say that because one other person is on their way as well."

"Another friend?"

"Yeah, but this one I know you enjoy the company of."

"Who?"

"Remember the Old Man you meat last year during the goblin invasion we had to deal with?"

"The wizard? How did you convince him to leave his home in the North Pole? I thought he was quite incapable of leaving that abode?"

"Well, I did him a few favors back a year ago, so he owes me. I figured we could use his help for something like this. Like us, he does have a duty to help protect the world. That was enough to convince him."

"I see. And how long will it take for him to arrive?"

"A good few days I'm sure. But after we get started, and secure a foothold near this position, and you start spreading your purity or whatever, then his magic will provide powerful aid to our cause."

"Good… Speaking of which, I have my forces in the Hallow prepared for combat. When the time arises they will be prepared."

"How many soldiers?"

"Fifty thousand strong."

"Hum… that may not prove enough…"

"I'm aware. However, their support will soon be required once we make our push into the central regions of this land."

"I agree. The more help we can get the better."

"But our first objective of course is securing this foothold. We must create a staging point in the valley itself before any kind of invasion force can be deployed."

"Yeah I got it sunshine… we've been over it like five times now."

"Yes, but I figured the more times I repeated myself, the longer the notion would remain in that tiny little head of yours."

I sigh. "This is going to be a long campaign isn't it?"

"Better get used to me buddy, because until this is over, you and I are partners."

"Just what I've always wanted."

"Hey, look sharp!" Faye suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"I can sense something nearing our position, moving quickly and rapidly closing distance with us!"

"I don't see anything!" I said looking around the wasteland.

"No it's not a flier. It's moving through the ground towards us."

"A worm?"

"No, something else. It's much smaller, but extremely fast."

"Hostile?"

"I don't know, but best be ready, it's nearly here…"


	2. An Untimely Arrival

**Chapter 2: An Untimely Arrival **

"I don't see anything, and I can't feel anything moving under us. Are you certain that you know what you're talking about?" I asked looking back at Faye, who had her hand over her forehead as if concentrating deeply.

"Shush!" she exclaimed. "I'm trying to listen…"

"There's nothing coming, I'm telling you, I would have seen it if it were coming across the plains, or felt the vibrations had it been a worm," I said lowing my sword in mild disappointment.

"Stop… speaking!" Faye said walking slowly towards the edge of the overlook. "The noise… it stopped."

Suddenly the ground under her feet gave way and the entire upper portion of the ledge she was standing on gave way. She slipped and fell to her feet as the chunk of earth broke away from the side of the canyon and lurched downwards, stopping abruptly at an obtuse angle, tethered to the cliff by merely a few strong roots.

"Faye!" I shouted holstering my sword and rushing over to the broken ledge, reaching my arm out to secure her.

She was just out of my arm's reach, and was unable to let go of the ledge, else she would plummet downwards. From this height the fall would certainly kill her.

"Give me your arm!" I shouted reaching out over the ledge as far as I could without falling myself.

"I can't! If I let go I'll fall!"

The ledge lurched again, and slid further downwards. Faye was now hanging vertically from the ledge, holding tightly to only a few roots embedded in the soil, dangling over a five hundred foot drop into the corruption.

"Hang on!" I said, raping a length of rope around a strong bolder near the ledge's edge and then tying the other end around my own waist.

"Slipping!" she called out.

Use the vines to pull yourself up to me," I said hoisting myself further over the broken ledge.

"I can't control them, their dead! I can only move living organic matter!"

"Then just don't let go, I'm nearly to you!" I said sliding down the side of the broken ledge and grabbing onto her wrist. "You're going to have to let go and give me your other wrist! I can't pull you up like this without you letting go!"

"You'll drop me!" she shouted.

"I won't drop you, I swear! Trust me Faye!"

She looked up at me, with a frightful, but curious stare and let go of the roots, throwing her arm up towards me as far as she could manage to reach.

I reached out and gripped her arm tightly, pulling her up onto the side of the ledge. "You're going to have to climb up me."

"Ok," she said pushing her foot into my leg.

"Ah! Carefully!"

I felt a tug at the end of the rope tethered around my waist, and then a sudden snapping sound rang out through the air.

The rope broke, and both Faye and I, unable to secure anything, fell from the side of the dangling ledge, downwards towards the corruption bellow.

"Grab onto me!" I shouted, tumbling through the air and reaching for Faye.

She was screaming, and highly inattentive to what I was saying. Fortunately she was close enough that I was able to grab onto her, and pull her into my chest. Just before we hit the ground I could see water bellow us. It was so tainted that for above it had looked like solid land. Even so, falling from this height into water would still kill us from the downward momentum alone.

"Sweat Jesus, I hope this works…" I thought to myself raping my first around the small golden horseshoe that hung from a chain bound to my armor. The horseshoe glowed golden just as we smacked into the water.

Faye was ripped from my arms on impact, and I quickly found myself lost in the darkness. My entire body ached from the impact, but thanks to the magic of the horseshoe, the fall was greatly slowed before the initial impact. The armor helped as well, at least to absorb the punishment of hitting the water first. I had made certain it was me who broke the surface tension when we hit.

Under the water it was dark, so dark that it was light in the middle of the night compared to under this muck. I couldn't even see which direction was up. The feeling of gravity was also of no help, since the muck was so thick that it nearly completely overcame the forces of gravity, leaving me without a sense of which way was up, down, or sideways.

I reached into a slit in my armor that served as storage for many of the items I often carried along with me, and pulled out a glow stick. I cracked it and threw it in front of me. The glow stick fell past me, heading downwards past my face, which meant I was upside down, and that the surface was directly above me.

With armor swimming in water would be impossible, but this muck was so dense that it was less like water, and more like goo filled sand, making it surprisingly easy to push upwards through. Unlike quicksand, which has the effect of hindering movement, this goo seemed to be aiding my effort to escape.

My head ripped through the thick plasma like film of muck covering the lake's surface. I gasp, taking in air as quickly as I could and pulling myself up onto the surface of the goo. It was so dense that I was able to physically lie on top of it without sinking. Not but a moment later I looked around and realized that Faye was not here with me.

I began to panic, thinking that I would never be capable of finding her in this muck before she drown! I started splashing around in the surface muck looking to see if she was anywhere near me, this lake was not that deep, just very wide.

"Hey!" I heard her shout. "Hey! When you're finished playing around in the mud, I'm over here!"

I turned to the sound of her voice, to see that she was already standing on the bank of the lake.

"How did you get over there that quickly!?" I asked, relived that I had not allowed her to drown. I stood up, and clambered across the goo until I reached where she was standing on solid ground. "How do you get out that fast?" I asked nearly slipping as I jumped onto solid ground.

"I swam… moron. I was about ready to go back to save you," she said pushing goo off of her arms and stomach. "That was disgusting… First thing I'm going to do once we get a forward base established is take a nice warm shower…"

I panted, calming my nerves. "You seem rather calm about all this, having nearly just died and all."

"I figured you'd manage somehow, she said wiping her arm across my armor. "What happened back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"The rope, it broke."

"Yeah, I noticed. And I don't know. I was certain I had secured it properly. There's no reason that rope should have broken. It was made only a few weeks ago and was strength tested under the weight of, well, let's just say someone a bit heavier than either of us."

"The mechanic?"

"I'm telling her that you said that…" I frowned, flinging the sludge off my armor. "Good God, I have muck in every crevice of my armor, this is disgusting."

"I've been in worse…" Faye said, frowning, no doubt at the recollection of the battle she participated in against the Queen Bee.

"You found the honey worse than this purple muck?"

"Do you see how long my hair is? Have any idea how long it took to clean all that honey out? Not to mention the other places it got stuck…" she mumbled.

"What was that last part?..."

"Nothing… you know you really should have secured that rope better!"

"What… I already told you, I secured it perfectly. Something must have happened to cause it to break."

"So now do you believe me that we were being attacked by something?"

"I never saw anything, and according to you, the noise stopped before anything happened."

"That ledge broke immediately after! You don't find that at all suspicious?"

I stopped speaking. I was suddenly compelled to focus on a figure moving behind Faye. A shadow, a mere whisper of the wind, that ever so delicately moved a branch of the tree it hid within.

"Are you listening to me!" she pouted frowning at me, and then noticed that I was staring past her and turned to see what I was looking at.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

"What… see what… wait that noise… the one from before, I can hear it again."

"Something is following us…" I said raising my sword.

There came a terrible high pitched screech that echoed from behind the dead trees in front of us. There was still limited light, since the sun had not yet ascended high enough to erase the shadows from this valley, making it impossible to identify exactly what the noise was coming from.

A large shadow figure moved slowly out from behind the trees. I could see its claws, and the whites of its eyes, glowing dimly of the reflected light emanating from the lake's mucky surface.

"Does that look familiar to you?" I asked readying my sword.

"No…" Faye said raising hers. "One three, we strike. You take the left side, and I'll take the right. If it's a spectral entity, aim for its core, if it's anything else, just stab it until it dies…"

"What if it's not hostile?"

"It just tried to drop us off a cliff, I think it's hostile…"

The creature screeched, and lashed forward from the shadows towards us.

"Never mind, just kill it!" Faye shouted charging against the creature. She swung her sword at it as it came within range, but hit nothing but air. "What!?" she exclaimed.

"Where did it go!?" I asked looking around. The creature had vanished, not a single sign of it anywhere. "Could that have been a Wraith?"

"I don't know! Whatever it was, I can't sense it anymore… I think it's gone."

"What kind of creature can disappear and reappear that rapidly if not a Wraith?"

"There shouldn't be Wraiths in the Corruption though," Faye said lowering her sword.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know… Clearly something else is at work here. We'll need to establish a forward base before proceeding any further anyway. Regardless of that creature's presence, we need to continue as planned."

"We're ahead of schedule though, the sun is still not…"

"I'm aware!" Faye shouted temperamentally. "Just do as I say and stay out of my way! I'm going to cleanse this area first," she said pulling the Clentaminator out from wherever she keeps these things, as well as the purification powder, and began loading the device appropriately.

"What do you need me to do, since I can't be near that stuff?"

"Just wait over there, and keep an eye out for that thing, or any other hostiles."

"They'll soon be aware of us, once you start spraying that thing."

"I'm aware," she said raising the gun like device. "Stay clear," she said as a beam of blue energy exploded from the tip of the device.

The energy passed through whatever it contacted, vaporizing the bacterial infection that caused the taint to spread the corruption on contact. Almost instantly the ground and tree effected by the beam seemed to revert back to their pure forms.

"That's a useful weapon…" I thought to myself, watching Faye spray the surrounding area. "I wonder what effects it would have on a corrupted creature? If it would kill me, and I consider myself a good guy, can't imagine what it would do to pure evil."

"You need my help for anything or are you good?"

"Just keep watch moron!" she shouted over the loud bursts of energy.

"Right… I'll just, wait here then."

As soon as I finished speaking I could fell something penetrate my back. I immediately swung around thrusting my sword through whatever had touched me.

The outline of a shadow figure disintegrated away around my sword and disappeared into the air.

"Faye!" I shouted looking around for where the creature had gone to. "I think that thing is back!"

I turned to see Faye struggling with the creature. It had knocked the Clentaminator away and forced her to summon her sword.

I prepared to aid her, but before I could even take another step forward a force hit me in the side and threw me to the ground.

Another one of the creatures manifested over top of me, and thrust its arm towards my chest. I rolled out of the way and swung my sword past it. It dogged my attack and darted backwards, then faded away and instantly appeared behind me.

I tried to swing again, but the creature knocked my sword away from me, and threw me to the ground. It thrust itself over top of me and opened its jaws over my head, revealing thousands of razor sharp teeth.

I kicked the creature, trying to dismount it, but my foot passed right though it's body. It thrust its jaws down over my head, but I moved enough to one side that it missed, and instead got a mouthful of dirt.

I heard a loud bang, and then another immediately after the first. The creature on top of me looked to see what had occurred, and then dissipated completely.

"Looks like you needed some help little man!" I heard a familiar voice shouting.

A moment later Drey was over top of me, grasping my arm tightly and hoisting me to my feet.

"Good thing I arrived early eh? I nearly missed the party! Damn spectral monsters! Those things are hard as hell to kill ain't they kid!?"

"You know what those things are then?" I asked, walking past him and picking my sword back up.

"Yeah, Wraiths, but no normal Wraiths. These things some kind of, weird mutated Wraiths. Seen em back home where I come from. Damn things are overrunning the entire sector!"

"Thank you, for the assistance warrior," Faye said joining us.

"Well it looked like you had that one under control sweet heart, just didn't want to take any chances is all," Drey chuckled rubbing the back of his head.

"What did you do to make them leave?" I asked. "As soon as those bangs went off they seemed to immediately flee."

"Oh hell yeah! Them Wraiths don't much like the sound of my grenades. Something to do with the temporal interface of their plasma cores that gets all quantumasized when a loud bang rattles the air. Messes up their internal plasma patterns, er somethin. The things hate it. Only real way to kill em is to disrupt their inner patterns and then tear um to shreds! Least that's how we do it back home," Drey chuckled bouncing a grenade up and down in the palm of his hand.

"Well… thanks for the assistance old buddy."

"No problem kid! It looked like you needed the help. After I saw you two fall off that cliff, and watched them Wraiths attack, I figured you could use the help sooner than later. I see you two have already got started with the cleansing process, clearing an entry way and such. Good good, we gonna get it done real nice and easy that way."

"The process will take a while, however I've already managed to clear a sizable area for us to begin base construction," said Faye.

"Are you're workers going to arrive any time soon?" I asked. "I assume the three of us are not expected to construct a forward base alone."

"They should arrive within the next hour or two. Do recall we were forced to begin ahead of schedule."

"And I take it your workers are on your schedule then?"

"Indeed. They will arrive soon. Until then, you two should keep watch, and I'll continue the processes as planned."

"What if we encounter more Wraiths?"

"Just blast em," said Drey. "My solution to all mythical and physiological problems. I've got a saying you know… it goes like this, without grenades… you're dead. Works real good."

"You should be a poet," Faye groaned. "Now, get back to work, and stay away from me while I'm cleansing!" she said strutting off, swinging her hips sensually.

"Does she do that to you on purpose man?" Drey asked watching her walk.

"Stop staring," I said punching him in the chest.

He chuckled. "Like you don't want a piece of that…"

"Hey, thanks again for the intervention," I said interrupting him.

"Huh, oh yeah. Sure thing homes. Good thing I arrived a tad earlier than expected eh?"

"Yeah…"

"Hey what's wrong kid? You don't look so easy, somethin da matter?"

"I just have this weird feeling all of a sudden," I said looking up into the sky. "That Wraith that attacked me, it stabbed me. Not deep enough to penetrate through my armor, but I could feel it, like it moved through my entire body when it struck me. It left something in my mind, an idea, a feeling, a thought. I can't help but feel that there's something else watching us, something far stronger then what we've come here to face. I don't know how, but I can feel it…


	3. The Invaders

**Chapter 3: The Invaders**

**Corruption- Deep underground, near the corruption core.**

**Prospective- The 'Dark One'**

"My lord… I mean not to disturb you now, in your time of thinking… but… there has been an, issue… that has come to my attention… I though you should know that…

"Speak quickly Isac! I have little time to waist dealing in lesser matters…"

"Of course my lord! But, several humans have entered our lands my lord, and have begun fortifying a staging point to the far South… which in time could allow for their forces to begin entering our domain. Already we've encountered the humans. A scout located the earliest of their party and was destroyed, but not before transmitting a set of coordinates to the surrounding forces. The attackers were few, two humans, later joined by another, but due to the high levels of sunlight most of our forces in that area were incapable of responding in time. The position was overrun, and the humans took from us a piece of our domain! It seems that they possess a new weapon, capable of converting massive amounts of terrain back to purity, somehow reversing the bacterial growth of the taint…"

"Why Isac… why have you failed to prevent the humans from entering our lands?"

"…My lord… there was not time… the sun, it had risen to high, our forces were unable to…"

"Isac! I care not for your excuses! The weapon the humans possessed is a weapon I too know of. It is capable of reversing the growth of our dark taint, and reverting the corruption back to purity! And you allowed a mere three humans to penetrate our outer defensive parameter with it!"

"I'm… sorry my lord. I will take personal responsibility for this failure, and destroy the humans myself!"

"No Isac… you are not capable of dealing with these humans."

"My lord I will not fail you again! I will tear the flesh from their bones, and feast upon their entrails!"

"These humans… I can sense them now that I've become aware of their presence. The younger male human, he is not like the others Isac. We easily overcame the world of man before, but evolution it seems has finally produced a tangible creature, capable of posing a threat to me. You are not capable of destroying this being Isac, he is not like the other humans… and with him, the Dryad Faye… she is far more capable then she appears."

"One little girl, and stupid human boy!"

I laughed to myself under my own breath. "Foolish Isac. I created you to lead with blunt force, and in doing so I blinded you to reason and logic… This boy is not the greatest of the two threats…"

"The Dryad then?"

"The boy is powerful indeed, more powerful then I believe you are capable of dealing with. He may not realize it yet, that is favorable for us, but soon he shall come to understand that his power is only second to hers and mine. When he realizes this, he will become a threat to even me. But for now, he is unaware, and we shall kill him long before he ever learns otherwise! But the Dryad, she must already be aware, and she knows of me… Her power I cannot stand against alone…"

"That is why you should allow me to awaken the Eater of Worlds my lord! If I cannot destroy the boy, and you feel threatened by the Dyrad, then allow the Eater to devour them all, and stop this madness before it even begins!"

"You would have me summon the Eater to dispose of a mere three humans! There was a time when the Eater feed on entire worlds, far beyond this one, and you think it wise to awaken him to deal with so minor a task as this! He would be unpleased with me if I were to awaken him to deal with such a trivial threat!... No… He will expect me to deal with this personally."

"How?"

"The sun will soon set, and this land will fall to shadow once again. The forces of the Hallow have not yet arrived to aid the humans who penetrated our lands. They will not last long without reinforcements once the sun falls!"

"Should I then send the worms?"

"No… I have a better idea… Come morning, this pathetic campaign of theirs will be no more," I said smiling with a sinister gaze, looking upon the weapon I had created specifically for such an occasion as this. "No Isac, they will not last long…"


	4. Taking a Stand

**Chapter 4:****Taking a Stand**

**-The Front lines**

"Did you know that it takes exactly seventeen seconds to chew through the armor of an Eater of Souls using any kind of flammable projectile?" Drey said as he walked up next to me and sat down on the dead grass, which was slowly now returning to life.

"What?" I said looking over at him. "You just say something?"

"Yeah man, the Eaters… Their carapace takes seventeen seconds to burn through."

"Ok… you're point?"

"My point? Man, why you always got to be hating? What makes you think I even had a point?"

"…um," I started to say but was interrupted.

"Man no I'm just messin-wich-u homes. I do actually have a reason for bringing that up."

"Oh really, which would be what exactly?"

"Alright, dig this homes. So… a few days ago when I heard from you guys about this campaign we're all a part of now, I was like, hell yes! Ok so at the time, I'm workin on this laser particle assimilation relay matrix configuration grid right man… and I see these creatures moving through the East, called Gastropods. Little floaty pink things with integrated molecular energy discharge focal points."

"You mean that they can fire a energy particle beam from their bodies?"

"Yeah man why you got to make it sound so unsophisticated like that? Man… anyway, so I saw them and I was like, I could make that work better. So I integrated my laser systems I was workin on with them Gastropods. And wouldn't ya know, their molecular compositions are approximately identical to my laser system. I was able to amplify my volunteer's laser output by about 600%. If them things could speak, bet it would have been happy."

"You were actually able to amplify its natural effects by that much?" I asked, now more interested in Drey's babble.

"Yeah sure. I could have turned it up even further… however the energies would likely have eradicated the Gastropod had I increased them much further."

I chuckled.

"What man?"

"Drey… you sure are smart for how you seem at first glance."

He laughed deeply. "Yeah man that's what my ma and pa always told me."

My attention was suddenly drawn to Faye as I noticed her moving past us a few hundred yards in the distance.

"Man what you lookin at?" Drey asked noticing the sudden stray in my attention.

"What, oh nothing," I said looking away.

"Oh no… I see how it is…"

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"No need to shout bout it dog. You saw-er first eh?"

"Whatever you're implying, discard it! I have no interest in that woman…" I said standing up.

"You sure? Drey said following. "Because I see how you two look at each other…"

"Look at each other!? She looks at me like she's ready to impale me."

"And what about you kid? How do you see her when you look at her?" he asked suddenly getting real series in tone.

"I… I don't know. She's attractive. But a terrible person. She's crude, acts like a prude all the time, is overly confident and a know it all, and she treats people as if their expendable to her."

"Yeah man, but she's hot…"

I glared at him from the corner of my eye questioningly.

"Joking man. Look, I just wondered ight."

"There's nothing to wonder about. Despite how long we've known each other, she's never going to change her mind about the humans… or about me."

"Whatever you say man… She still spraying that powder?"

"Yeah. She's been doing it all day."

"Nearly nightfall at this point."

"I see that," I said looking to the horizon over the tainted mountains. "You can bet that the Corruption will have something in store for us tonight."

"Well, good for us Faye's cleared away enough taint that the forces that arrived earlier today were more than capable of constructing several sets of facilities behind a guarded parameter. They callin it our main base of operations. Least till we get a more suitable one eh?"

"Right… even so. Most of Faye's forces won't arrive until later, after tomorrow at the earliest. The forces we have here now are important… but limited."

"Mostly seems that what we've got so far is a division of gastropods, a couple assemblies of unicorns and their human riders, and about five thousand fairies and some pixies. Ain't much, but should be enough to discourage the Corruption's local forces in this area."

"Yeah, for now… but what happens when the other parts of the Corruption gather and amass their armies for an assault? Every minute Faye's army isn't here, is more time the Corruption has to assimilate its dark forces and prepare against us. Do recall, they outnumber us… significantly."

"Yeah, but we out match them… so even terms, way I see it. And besides, you've got me around to protect you," he chuckled.

"The help is appreciated, but even you're not going to be much use if the Corruption decides to send a full force against us before sunrise."

"Will make it, don't you worry kid."

"We don't have much more time left," I said watching the sun set. "Let's head back to base, and see how things are coming along. I've not got a chance to inspect the operation since before lunch earlier today."

"Sounds good man. What about Faye?"

"She's under heavy guard, nothing is going to attack them this earlier in the evening," I said glancing at her once more. She was still praying that powder of hers, pushing back the darkness. Several dozen Unicorns and their riders walked nearby her, keeping guard at all times. "You know what's bothering me?" I asked looking over at Drey as he and I made our way towards the massive, primarily wooden, fortress that has been constructed throughout today.

"What's that?"

"We've not been hit since the incident this morning with those Wraiths. Even with the sunlight, the Corruption should have offered more retaliation against our forced entry."

"Come on man, it's only been like what, thirteen hours since you got here? They're all probably still in shock. Besides, I can guarantee with night coming that we gonna see some action."

"You think these guys are ready?"

Drey laughed. "They've been trained, they'll do fine kid. Ain't sayin they'll be as good as you and I, we something else… but, I think they'll do just fine."

"I do hope so… all day I've had this feeling… like something is watching us."

"This start ever since that Wraith stabbed you?"

"Yeah, and it's starting to freak me out a bit. It's like I can feel someone else's presence inside my mind, whispering to me. And a name echoes through my mind…"

"Commander!" a human soldier said saluting as Drey and I walked up the main ramp leading into the forward installation of the base parameter.

"At ease," I said walking past him.

"Yes sir. Sir, the Admiral has arrived, and he wants to speak with you two as soon as possible," the soldier said coming up on our side and walking with us.

"The Admiral? He is already here? I thought he was supposed to arrive tomorrow?" I asked as we entered the main gate of the secondary wall.

"Yes sir, that was the original intention, however I received a report that he has in fact arrived. Apparently he wants to talk with you two about the strategy of engagement against the Corruption."

"Understood. Where can we find him?"

"The Admiral should be currently on the main deck of the inner most tower sir! That's what they're calling the control tower now sir!"

"Understood. Will make our way there immediately."

"Very good sir! Should I send a Gastropod to alert the Admiral?"

"No, we'll surprise him."

"Yes sir!" the soldier said saluting and breaking off.

"Amazing how many young humans kids are here huh?" said Drey.

"Yeah… most of humanity is long gone. To see so many humans in one place… feels strange to me."

"See man… these are exactly the kind of reasons that you need to get out of the house more often and come visit some of the human colonies. You spend all your time surrounded by a bunch of weirdo super humans, some not even human at all like that Skeleton guy… or that machine dude… or Faye… I'm not sure about the fat witch doctor dude… and then theres…"

"Ok… I get it…"

"All I'm sayin man, is you stay in a village you say you built by hand, in the middle of nowhere, on that damn island of yours, surrounded by a bunch of weirdo freaks all the time. No wonder you ain't normal kid."

"I did build that town…" I grinned… "With some help of course. And hey, I do get out, just not off my island very often."

"Man… How did Faye even convince you to come overseas to the Corruption mainland?" he chuckled.

"She and I both understand the greater duties we have to this world. She only needed to ask, that was all it took to convince me."

"Carful kid, startin to sound like a hero on me bro… Don't go changing for the better that fast now you hear. I'd miss my old friend if he got himself killed over something like this."

"Don't you get it Drey… what we're doing here could fix everything… with the Corruption mainland's gone, the rest all over the planet's Corruption will eventually fall, and wither away. And then life will have a chance of returning once more, to this wasteland of a world we once called our home."

"Kid… I admire you spunk… but even if we do succeed in this campaign, and in a few years mankind is free, and can rebuild in a world free of Corruption… what makes you think that we won't fall down our old path again? What makes you think humanity has changed that much since this all began? Do recall kid… it was us who created the Corruption in the first place… to end all wars, and vanquish our enemies… Control… Power… Turns out pure evil don't like to listen to its human masters so much eh? We did this to ourselves kid… undoing it won't fix what's broke inside humanity."

"It's a start Drey… we have to start somewhere. And stopping it from getting any worse is a good place to start," I said as we stepped onto the lift that would raise us up to the top of the newly deemed 'control tower'.

"You got a lot of faith in humanity kid," Drey said as the lift lurched upwards and shakily rose towards the top of the wooden shaft.

"I can't afford to think otherwise… I can't lose the memories of my past… what few memories I do recall. I can't give up on searching for the truth of who I am."

"You still on that huh? You were born, just like the rest of us humans man."

"Then where are my parents? Where are my memories? Why can't I recall anything past two and a half years ago?"

"Amnesia maybe… I don't know man… I'm a weapons expert, not a doctor homes... Ask that sexy little nurse of yours next time you see her, maybe she knows."

"Right…" I said as the lift came to a stop.

Two huge wooden doors swung open automatically as we stepped towards them.

"Looks like that cute little mechanic girl has already arrived eh?" Drey chuckled.

"It would seem so. And stay away from her. She's not your type," I said looking down at the pressure plate we had tripped. "I have to admit, she's getting better and crafting these. I didn't even feel that one that time.

"What do you mean she ain't my type? All woman are my type man…"

"Gentlemen…" the Admiral said the instant we walked into the room.

The entire room was coated in rich mahogany, reinforced with steel beams and concrete pillars that surrounded a series of windows that overlooked the entire base.

"Oh… we high up man," Drey said staggering at the sight of how truly high above the ground we were now standing.

"Admiral!" I said saluting.

Drey never saluted, since he was not a part of any regulated military faction. Technically neither was I… but I liked to act as though I was. The military treated me that way at least. Maybe that was only because I was the only human being who seemed to be capable of wielding the weapons of this world. None of the other humans were like me… none of them.

"At ease son…"

"Sir! You wanted to see us sir!" I shouted.

The Admiral was the only one I ever addressed with such respect… I guess that was mostly because he was like a father to me, and I felt he deserved it.

"Good to see you son, Drey… you too. Don't bother sitting down, because you'll just stand up when you hear this."

"Has something happened sir?" I asked.

"Rather a lack of actually… I had expected you two to greet me upon arrival today, I was intending on informing you sooner, but you two seemed to be occupied with other matters when I arrived."

"My apologies sir... I didn't expect you to arrive so much ahead of schedule."

"Yes well… we had favorable conditions on the trip here, and fortunately made it in a much more timely manner than previously anticipated. However, what I wanted to tell you was that the division of Gastropods that we arrived with reported that they had detected that the Corruption forces have left this area entirely."

"What!?" Drey exclaimed.

"Why?" I asked.

"They're not at all retreating… the forces in this region have pulled back to form a blockade to the North about four miles inland and are fortifying a defensive position against us."

"It's not like the Corruption to fall back… ever." I stated.

"That's why I needed to talk with you. Since you are a large part in the commanding aspect of this mission, we need to discuss what this could mean."

"Should I send to have Faye brought here as well? She should be in on this conversation if we are planning…"

"No leave the Dryad out of this… she has no place here among man."

"But sir…"

"That's enough son!"

"Yes sir!"

"As I was saying… they're defensive accumulation is disturbing because it violates their nature. Creatures of the Corruptions are rash, violent, mindless monsters that do not think or use reason when dealing with their foes. These creatures seem to be acting of another's accord."

"You think that there could be a higher power controlling them?" asked Drey.

"We really don't know. But it is possible that evolution has accelerated some of their kind into a state that might allow for some level of cunning or calculation to be executed. We must assume that there is indeed a higher entity controlling these creatures that has ordered them to pull back."

"Why retreat though? This is the time to hammer us, while we're still weak and only getting started…" I stated.

"Yes that is the second reason I am disturbed by their recent actions. If there is a higher power controlling them, why pull them back when they have the upper hand?"

"You don't think they gonna summon it, do you?" said Drey.

"The Eater of Worlds you mean?" asked the Admiral.

"Yeah… that beasty is one bad-ass worm… fought it once we did, with some others as well… long time ago… couldn't kill it."

"Well as you can see we are more prepared as of now for its coming, if in fact they do awaken it. However that does not seem to be their immediate plan. Scouts detected Wraiths monitoring our growing outer parameter. There was no confrontation, but they're watching us."

"Naturally," I replied. "The sun is going to set soon… We should call in our forces and prepare for a long night sir."

"I've already set the order to pull everyone back. But you and I need to discus strategy. Come morning, we are going to need to make a push, and smash that blockade before they can further reinforce it."

"Understood sir, and for the time may I suggest…"

"Incoming!" a soldier shouted from the window of the room. "Fliers incoming!"

"Will continue this conversation later son! Sound the alert! All hands to battle stations!" The Admiral shouted, swinging into action. "Get those fliers on screen, and determine their numbers Brigs!"

"Yes sir, pulling up holographic systems now… we've got a good lock on their forces. On screen now sir."

A holographic image manifested of the coming fliers.

"How many are we dealing with?"

"Scanners are reading out at about seventeen hundred sir."

"Unit classification?"

"They're not Eater's sir."

"Then what are they? Scourge?"

"No sir, not Wraiths, or bats either."

"Them critters look like Wyvern…" stated Drey.

"No they're too small to be Wyvern," I replied watching the holographic monitor.

"Deploy what aerial forces we currently have available!" ordered the Admiral. "Get the pixies and fairies to amass around the outside of the inner wall and concentrate their energies on forming a plasma shield around the base! And get everyone inside!"

"Gastropods are being tasked sir! Deploying in thirty seconds.

"Sir the pixies and fairies have received orders and are in route!"

"Everyone's behind out lines sir!"

"Good… prepare ground stat turrets for combat, and bring my Mech walkers online! Get unicorns and riders to support their forward defensive!"

"Damn that's a lot of bugs heading our way…" said Drey watching the mass of hundreds of swarming creatures heading in our direction.

"Let's hope these things aren't as hard to kill as Eaters are," I said.

"It's interesting that their able to move so effectively in this light," said Drey. "It's still not night. This attack is coming much earlier than anticipated."

"To throw us off guard," said the Admiral.

"But the sunlight… they don't seem to be affected by it."

"I see that son… Clearly the enemy has been busy as well, modifying genetic stands and growing an army… they must have seen this coming for some time. But this night, we prove that humanity and the forces of good will not tolerate this darkness any longer! This night, we send a message back to the Corruption core! We are not afraid, and we are coming to take back what was once ours!"

"Let's hope we survive the night to send that message…" Drey mumbled.

I braced my sword with one hand in its holster. It was humming with energy, eager to be used. It must have been capable of sensing my inner rage. I was ready to draw blood, ready to send that message. "This time… it'll be different. This time, we're the ones who are going to win…"


	5. A New Threat

**Chapter 5:****A new Threat**

"Sir, Gastropods have engaged the enemy just outside of our parameter."

"Sir we've got a better lock on a few individual attackers, bringing them onscreen now."

The holographic screen displayed a much more detailed view of the creatures. They were not as large as they previously seemed, and were now clearly identifiable as many individual life forms that had amassed into larger columns on approach. They were red, with thick husks, and seemed very similar to the Eater's, only somehow different. They had a more narrow body type, thinner and more lethal looking. A large tooth filled mouth was mounted at the front the creature, surrounded by several stubby sharp arms.

"What in God's name are these monstrosities?" asked the Admiral.

"No clue sir, but the creatures seem to fight similarly to the Eater's with close combat tactics. However we're clearly observing that this new enemy is capable of discharging some kind of acidic bile from its mouth. The bile appears highly effective at long range, and is easily cutting through the armor of the Gastropods."

"Sir we've lost a fourth of the Gastropods already. Enemy forces numbers are only slightly diminished."

"Order them to fall back!"

"Yes sir."

"All the shouting and sounds of distant fighting seemed to all at once vanish, as a memory entered my mind, one that was not my own.

**Corruption Core:**

**-The Dark One**

"These creatures that you have created my lord… what are they?" asked Isac.

I laughed to myself, most pleased with my creation. "A few months ago, about the time I realized that the world on man, though diminished and scattered to ruins, was slowly returning. With their coming the Hallow joined them, and protected them, allowing them time to rejoin this world. Now they possess enough strength to be a threat to us once more Isac. They have studied our tactics, and learned our ways… they have become efficient in dealing with us. So, I created something that they have never before seen."

"These creatures my lord?"

"I stumbled a few months ago upon an ancient place located near this island, were there was an alter similar to the ones found in our realm. Only this alter was different Isac, it was of blood and cried out, sacrifice! It was then and there that I realized the power this place held. I located an ancient power, a brain of knowledge belonging once to the great ocean monster… it told me if I were worthy that I would have its knowledge and its power… so I decimated it! From its death I grew more powerful, and more aware. I learned of the secrets of this new place, and harvested them for my own. I called this new land, the Crimson… However, I was arrogant still. In my desire for power I had killed the brain, and harvested the alters. Soon after the land perished, and returned to the disgust of the purity. The entire island reverted back, and the Crimson perished. So I returned to this place, with the knowledge and power I had gained, and began recreating that holly place once more. Here deep with the Corruption core did I give rise to the new Crimson, a place where I can grow the creatures of that world, and train them against the Hallow and the Purity of man!"

"Most brilliant as always master… but these creatures, what do you call them?"

"These Isac, I call them… Crimera."

…

**The Front Lines:**

"Hey, what's the matter man?" Drey asked punching me in the shoulder.

"They're called Crimera… They're from a place called the Crimson. They were recreated here by some kind of dark entity. You were right Admiral, something is leading the Corruption's forces."

"What are you talking about son?" asked the Admiral.

"I just saw a memory or a vision perhaps, of the creature that leads the Corruption. I saw through his eyes, where he had been, what he had done. These creatures attacking us are not of the Corruption, they are from a place called the Crimson."

"Impossible, we've never heard of anything like that before…"

"That don't mean it ain't real Admiral," said Drey.

"And what is this being doing with these creatures?"

"I think he's trying to bring back the Crimson sir. He said that he was the reason it was destroyed, and now he's recreating a new one inside the Corruption core."

"Ah hell no, don't think I need to tell either of you what that's gonna mean for us if that goes down man."

"Indeed," said the Admiral. "If what you saw is indeed connected to this entity we face, then we must take action. An advance must be made. We must end the threat before it can begin!"

"Sir we still need to deal with the forces attacking us now. After this is all over, assuming we're still here, we won't have enough men left for a full out assault," I stated. "The rest of the Hallow armies won't arrive until at the earliest tomorrow morning sir."

"Admiral, we just detected a high level of energy building from the North!"

"What kind of energy!?"

"It seems similar to a laser polarity sir, we don't have visual, but sensors indicate that…"

"Hey… sorry to interrupt everybody!" the mechanic said rushing into the room. "Hi everyone, um, sorry to interrupt like this, I know now might not be a great time and all but…"

"Who the hell is this woman?" the Admiral asked confounded.

"This is one of my friends," I replied, "Her name's Terra. She's my mechanic from back on my island sir."

"And what is this woman doing on my bridge?"

"Um, hi. Sorry to interrupt and all, but I just thought you should all be aware that there is an Ion cannon about to fire on this location."

"What?" I asked. "How do you know that?"

"We've just received notice of an energy build up to the North, is that what you're referring to, little missy?" asked the Admiral. He always had a stern tone and distasteful attitude towards woman, and aliens, and monsters, and anything that isn't a man and human. I never asked him why, it's never been my business to inquire about it.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I'm referring to," Terra stated, equally sternly.

"And you think it's an ion cannon?" I asked.

"I don't think, I know. Besides I just talked to the Goblin Tinkerer, you know, the cute one, and he told me he agrees… so yeah, that's what we're facing. I would say that this place is probably about to be leveled."

"Our shields should hold against any kind of…"

"Sorry to interrupt you again Admiral, but you're wrong, so I'm just going to stop you before you make us all listen. The Ion cannon energy output is so obviously identical to that of a demon alter backflow matrix that it's actually painful that none of you noticed sooner. The enemy is charging an alter and preparing to use it against this location."

"Our shields will hold."

"Actually… no, sorry Admiral, but no, they won't. This is not a normal demon alter their charging."

"A Crimson alter…" I stated.

"What did you just call it kid?" she asked looking over at me.

"Terra, ask the Tinkerer if he knows what that is," I requested.

"Already on it kid. Hey, yeah it's me again… oh I know right. Ha, no they didn't believe it either. I know right, like what's up with that too huh?"

"Terra!" I stated firmly.

"Uh, right. Hey um so the kid says that it's called a Crimson alter. That would explain the different energy readings compared to a Corruption alter. Have any idea what a Crimson alter is?... Uh hum, ok, right. Got it, thanks sweaty… Yeah he has no idea, sorry kid," she said shrugging.

"Wonderful,'" said the Admiral. "Are the shields still holding?"

"Yes sir, the Crimera are still not able to reach us directly, and all forces have pulled back behind the shields. Turrets and stat cannons are doing what damage they can to the enemy while they try to break through. But sir, if they hit us with a demon alter, the shields won't hold."

"Yes I understand."

"So, basically man, we trapped in here. If we go outside, those Crimera eat us, we stay in here, we get blasted by an alter ion cannon," said Drey.

"An alter can only fire once, right?" I asked.

"That's correct," said Terra.

"Then I have I idea," I said readying to leave the room, holstering my sword across my back.

"Where are you going!?" asked the Admiral.

"Up to the roof, I'm going to give that ion cannon something to think about."

"Oh… you're such a dream kid," Terra said blushing. "If you were a goblin I'd totally date you."

The Admiral grabbed me around the arm. "What the hell are you thinking son!?"

"Sir, I can stop that beam. If their Crimson alter can only fire like a demon alter can, then I can handle one shot from it. This sword was made from an alter, and I can repel it," I said showing him the Night's Edge strapped across my backside.

The Admiral let go of my arm. "Hope you know what you're doing son."

"We don't have much other choice as far as I can see sir," I said walking towards the door.

"I'll come wich-u man," said Drey.

"No, you need to all stay here. The energies won't kill me in this armor, but any of you would be immediately vaporized."

"Good luck son," said the Admiral.

"Don't need it sir," I said steeping out of the room.

I stood on the lift and rode it up to the roof of the control tower. The white pulsating shield energy was rippling just overhead, a few dozen yards above me. And the army of Crimera were still attempting to penetrate the shielding by ramming it and spewing acid across it. I could see the energy amassing in the distance to the North, a powerful red glow that illuminated the darkened skies.

"This is either brave, or completely insane," I thought to myself drawing my sword and raising it up in front of me.

I had handled alters before, but never a Crimson alter. Even so, this sword was forged from the energies of evil, from an alter. So reason states that it should be capable of repelling an alter as well. At least that was the thinking.

The energy brimmed on the horizon, like a distant campfire that reached into the sky. Suddenly the energy pulsed, and a furious beam of red light exploded towards us.

"Alright sword, let's see what you've got."

As if having a consciousness of its own, my sword hummed with purple energy as I braced it in front of me. I had not used this sword often. This campaign would be the first time I had a chance to. I had forged it so recently at a demon alter, very near this same location in fact. Everything it was doing now was somewhat unfamiliar to me. It was almost as if it could think for itself to some degree, and I could feel its thoughts and desires. Like right now… if there was an emotion to describe what it was feeling, I would call it, excitement.


End file.
